Oxygen cost of breathing in newborn infants with long-term ventilatory support.

Oxygen consumption (VO2) was measured during controlled and spontaneous ventilation with continuous positive airway pressure in newborn infants in whom chronic lung disease later developed. The oxygen cost of breathing (the difference in VO2 between spontaneous and controlled ventilation) was significantly higher in infants with chronic lung disease than in control infants (20.1% +/- 7.5% and 4.8% +/- 4.9% of VO2 during spontaneous ventilation (p < 0.05), respectively).